Amy Scott's Thoughts

I love Jonathan Martin’s preaching. I listen to his podcasts from Renovatus, his church in North Carolina. I just love the way he phrases things and his tangents and his southern style (it’s just southern enough to be cool without annoying me – it’s a fine line). When I heard that he was writing a book, I was very excited. My only fear was that I might not enjoy reading his words as much as I do listening to them, but this book did not disappoint. I could hear him as I read and it was the same style that I enjoy so much about preaching.

One of the highlights for me was how he talked about Jesus showing us a new way to be human. I’m a huge Switchfoot fan and they had a big hit called “New Way to Human” so the topic kept making me think of this song. It was a lovely connection that tickled me. The purpose of this book is get back to the basics in a lot of ways. It’s about embracing the fact that you are God’s beloved. When you truly know how loved you are it changes things, it changes you! He talks about how Jesus brought us these new ways to embrace ourselves, our relationship with God and our relationship with others.

One of the main points Jonathan hits is our identity. He used the story of the demon possessed man who when Jesus asked the demon for his name, the reply was “Legion” for there were many inside this man. For the first time I heard this story used to describe us and the overwhelming stimulation and voices we have in our life. It was very powerful to think that we suffer from too many voices, too many screens, too many versions of ourselves in our present time. We can relate to the man with the legion inside. Jonathan writes:

“Instead of being repelled by all the clamor, I rather enjoy being the center of my own universe. So I hear it as, ‘A thousand voices are competing for my attention. I must be really important.'”

This is something I struggled with for a long time. The greater the demand on me, the more I thought I was something special. In ministry, it’s easy to develop a hero complex that puts me at the center of everything, instead of Jesus. After years of frustration and burn out, I’m learning that my life is so much more peaceful when I know my place. When I allow God to define me and not my many roles or the people in my life, I am able to see who I really am. It’s easier to stay focused on what I am supposed to do and what I’m not called to do. In the story of the demon possessed man, his fellow townspeople got scared when they saw him in right mind. Martin brought out the point that in a world full many voices, it freaks people out to be around others who have a peace and understanding of who they are. We are so used to crazy that is the sane people that worry us. That peace that surpasses all understanding can be pretty freaky when you’re used to chaos, clamor and noise.

There are so many other thoughts that I could share from this book. I highlighted a lot! I love  it when I’m highlighting up a book and thinking – “There are other people that get this! I’m not the only one that feels this way!” It’s so reassuring to my soul. In a lot of ways I feel like I live a counter-intuitive life. Not because of the things I don’t do. I’m not taking about the goody-goody Christian behavior list, but more on a gut level of I know who I am, I know what I want to do and I know where I draw the line. I know what feeds my soul and I know what drains me. I am learning more and more to balance my roles and not to wrap my identity up in them. I am learning a new way to be human. One that embraces God’s vision for my life and goes after it knowing that I will not always have fans and be popular because of my decisions, but with Jesus leading the way, I am willing to follow. Prototype is an excellent book that will make you want to follow after Jesus with a great passion!

As expected, I flew through Bread & Wine. This whole book was about food and preparing food for the ones you love and dinner parties and living life around the table, about nourishing our bodies and  our relationships and our souls. I think the reason I love Shauna so much is because is so different from me. She mentioned that she grew up in a ministry household where the home was sanctuary from the busy world. Her home life was quiet and always wished it could have been a little louder, even though she understood quiet was what her parents needed. I can relate because I feel like my home is my sanctuary. It’s my quiet in a  busy, hectic ministry life. Instead of opening my home to people, I tend to recover in my home and recharge my batteries.

This doesn’t mean that I can’t connect to the idea of nourishing people through food and through relationship. I believe the table is a very valuable place and it is often missing in our fast paced American lives. I love family dinners. I dream of feeding my own family someday and sitting around our dining room and talking about the day. In someways I find that 1950’s housewife role ideal. Clean the house, take care of the kids, make dinner and feed the family. I like the sound of that.

Let’s be honest, I have little to no cooking skills. I’ve tried a few things, but really I’m not a cook. Shauna includes recipes at the end of almost every chapter and I couldn’t help but notice how brave she is with food. Her palette is more refined (in some ways… she admits to loving fake cheese). I’m more of a comfort food kind of a girl. I like simple pasta and burritos and macaroni & cheese and pizza. I’m not really into bacon wrapped dates or salads with feta cheese crumbles. Her recipes sounded interesting, but I’m not sure I would make a lot of them. The enchiladas sounded good and Sarah Bessy made them and agrees. Shauna’s blueberry crisp recipe that she got from her mom also sounded like something I would make.

The hardest part about reading this book was I had the flu part of the time while I  was reading it. It made the food portions sounds less tasty, but the great thing about this book is it about so much more than food. Shauna writes with such honesty about her relationships. Her tales of miscarriage and high risk pregnancy are gut-wrenching. Her closeness to her family and core friends is touching. She shares about her marriage and raising her boys. She writes about her crazy schedule and how the world can flip upside down sometimes. I love these essays because they speak such life to me. They are heartfelt and authentic and they move me to tears. She is so extroverted that I know we could never be alike, but I would love to have her as a friend. Who wouldn’t love someone who cooks all the time and throws awesome baby showers and makes care packages for new moms that include lots of good food. As I was reading this I was thinking about how I could really use a friend like her in a couple months (less than 6 now…).

This book inspires me. It inspires me to step out of my comfort zone and into my kitchen more. It inspires me to share my table with the ones I love. It also reminds me that the Shaunas of the world are there to throw dinner parties and the Amys of the world are here for quiet sanctuaries. We are all different and that is okay. I can learn a lot from people that are different than me and I can love them for what they bring to the table. Any book by Shauna Niequist is a must read in my opinion and her new book is no exception!

Good Reads!

I was really excited to get my hands on this book. I tried to place a hold on it at the library and I discovered that I was 45th in line. What a wait! Lucky for me, I have a friend and mentor who allowed me to borrow her copy. Thanks, Vicki!

Wow, let me tell you after all the hype surrounding this book, I found it a lot harder to read than I expected. It’s really good, don’t get me wrong. It’s just so full of research and data that at times it can feel a bit like reading a textbook. Nothing wrong with that! It’s just not a book you fly through. Each page has some serious weight behind it.

I’ve long known that I am an introvert and I do love reading books that validate my wiring. Especially in church culture, there is a strong emphasis of extrovertism being the “ideal” leader. It’s been freeing, the more I read and the more I get comfortable in my own skin, to know God made me this way and he will use me this way. I don’t have to be something I’m not. Yes, at church I can tend to put on an extroverted mindset, especially in a classroom environment. However, if you were to watch me in the office throughout the week, you would see my introverted tendencies. Also my schedule screams that I’m an introvert. I have lots of down time in my life and I need it in order to be with people. When I am constantly on the go and always up front, I get really burnt out, really fast.

I think my favorite paragraph in the book was  in the conclusion. Let me share some of Cain’s closing words with you:

“Love is essential; gregariousness is optional. Cherish your nearest and dearest. Work with colleagues you like and respect. Scan new acquaintances for those who might fall into the former categories or whose company you might enjoy for its own sake. And don’t worry about socializing with everyone else. Relationship make everyone happier, introverts included, but think quality over quantity.”

I love that paragraph because most people assume that introverts don’t like people or avoid people. This is not true. I love people very much. The relationships I have in my life are extremely important to me. My friendships run deep. I may only have a handful of close friends on this planet, but that doesn’t matter to me because I agree that quality matters over quantity. Overall this books a good read and very insightful. I understand why introverts have really raised the banner over this book and made it so well known.

As a side note, my copy of Shauna Niequist’s newest book, Bread & Wine, arrived today just as I was finishing Quiet. Shauna’s writing has moved me so much in the last year. She has become an instant favorite for me.  I am so excited that this book arrived early! Originally I thought it would arrive right before I left on a week of ministry conferences. I would rather be alone with a good book than social in a crowd any day so I was worried about the tension of wanting to be with my book when I should really be with people. Now I can totally devour this book before leaving and not worry a bit about looking anti-social! Hurray! Happy dance!

I’m happy to say that I finished Multiply this weekend! It sadly took me longer to read than I had expected. Part of the reason is I am reading multiple books at a time right now and I’m learning that I don’t do that well. I like to process one thing at a time. My brain gets overwhelmed by topic hopping. Lesson learned.

Multiply is a great book for anyone who considers themselves a Christ Follower or might be curious about what the Bible is about. This book is written in a very different style from Chan’s other books. It’s very basic and simple. It’s completely user friendly. The beginning starts off with why disciples should make disciples – practically how does that look.

The book then moves into what I would call a brief commentary of the Biblical narrative. This is very sound teaching on what is in the Bible. Nothing too controversial – the book is very non-denominational. Just the basics are presented and I like that. This section of the book is a resource to those who are actively discipling and a lesson for those who being discipled. Chan gives you what to go over and then all the details you need to confidently study God’s word together.

As a Bible college student, I didn’t feel like it was anything new that I didn’t know. However, that doesn’t diminish the power of God’s Word and purpose of the church in reaching out. It was a good reminder for me and a book that I could see myself recommending to those who want to go deeper in their understanding of the Bible and God’s word.  It’s not meant to replace the Bible for study, but it should spur you on in your desire to know God more and to help others know God more. Overall, an easy and moving read. You can’t get over the basics how ever simple they might be. God is good and he is plan. Will we be a part of it?

Now that this book is off my to-read list let me share with you a few more books I’m really looking forward to starting or finishing in the next few months:

• One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp – Yes, this is my 4th time reading the book, but I’m doing it alongside my Growth Group study and it’s been water to my soul, just like every other time I’ve read it.
• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain – I’m so excited for this read! I’ve heard really good things about this book. I love anything that validates me an introvert and inspires me to be the way I was created to be.
• Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist –  I’ve become a huge fan of Shauna this last year and her newest book will be released in April! I can’t wait! Seriously, I will be pre-ordering this soon!
• The Synergist by Les McKeown – We just took his work assessment test our staff leadership meeting. Now we’ll be reading his book to dig deeper into the concepts.
• Prototype by Jonathan Martin – I love listening to Jonathan’s podcasts and I’m super excited for his first book! It will be released at the beginning of May, but I’ve heard good things from those who have received an advance copy!

I’m so excited to pour through all these books and learn from these authors! So much good stuff to read!

This week I finished A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans. Can I just tell you I’ve learned a new pet peeve? Nothing irritates me more than people who make a big deal of nothing. I’ve been anticipating this book for months. Pretty much from the moment I heard about this project. I also heard a lot of negative things about it. Mostly from men. Things that sounded like, “She’s mocking biblical womanhood” or “she’s trying to overthrow men”. Oh my, why create drama when there isn’t any need. Some people…

Anyway, I was very proud of how respectful Rachel was in this book. She stretched herself and tried things that weren’t “her” things. She got a different perspective and while I doubt she still wears head coverings or camps out in the front yard when she’s on her period, she did learn and grow through all these experiences. You don’t have to follow different walks of a life to the word in order to have respect from them and learn from them.

My personal take on the Bible verses most used to keep women silent and in the home happens to be that they were for a specific group of people in a specific time and place. Paul wrote letters to specific churches. He never said these words are scripture for all people and all time. We can learn from the them and I especially think he was getting at order in the church and dealing with a group of difficult woman who were misrepresenting what this movement was about. I look at Jesus and how he said nothing about women in a negative way. In fact, he went out of his way to value women. He was counter-cultural in his approach to women and he never put them in a box. In fact, I think Paul was the same way. He had women who he worked with in the early church that he valued. I don’t think this should be overlooked. I don’t believe in this idea that all women are good for is being a wife and making babies. I don’t believe women should be silent and have no authority over men. With that being said, I don’t look down on stay at home moms or women who have taken on more traditional gender roles. I believe that you should do what God has called you to do and use your talents to serve – your family, your church, your community, your work place. Serve and love wherever you are at and in whatever you are doing.  The where doesn’t make a difference to me.

The thing I love about Rachel in this book is she tried so many things that were out of her comfort zone. From making dinner and housekeeping to renting a computer baby (the ones they pass out to teenagers to discourage them unsafe sex) to dressing plain and modest, she really put herself out there. She called her husband “master” and celebrated Jewish holidays and Jewish laws. She studied women in the Bible to see if there was a mold, a pattern, something that applied to all women. It turns out the Bible is full of many women with different backgrounds and different talents. God used them in different ways to bring glory to himself. There isn’t a mold. In fact, Jewish tradition doesn’t expect all women to be the Proverbs 31 women. Isn’t that a relief? The Proverbs 31 is a woman of valor to exemplifies women who are active in their own lives. They don’t passively sit by and let life happen to them. Bake bread for your family? You’re a woman of valor. Bring home the bacon? Woman of Valor! Clean the house? Woman of Valor! It’s like a “You go girl” encouragement. This makes me very happy because I will never be ALL the things mention in Proverbs 31.

While there are many things that I loved about this book, I think the best part of me was her reflection on submission. Rachel’s Jewish source explained that the term in Genesis that we translate as “helpmeet” really signifies two pillars leaning on each other with equal weight. Rachel explains that it has always been “Team Dan and Rachel”. She and her husband have never assigned specific roles to their marriage. Whoever does it best gets the job done. Even for a year of submitting, her husband found it uncomfortable that she suddenly acted like less of a person because was a woman. He went through the craziness of this project so that she could succeed. Even in having the “master” card for a year, he only went a long with it so his wife would have  the opportunity to write this book. Their marriage in a partnership and “Team Dan and Rachel” really got this project done together. This really struck a cord for me because I view my marriage as a partnership. Jeremy has always treated me as an equal. Even in his job, he shares fully with me. There is no pulling rank and me being put in my place as the little woman. In every way we are Team Jeremy and Amy. If he succeeds, I succeed and visa versa. This is so stabling and so beautiful. Rachel ends the books by sharing that Dan doesn’t need to make her “respect” him because she already does – just for being himself. It’s a natural respect, not something that is demanded. I feel the same way when it comes to Jeremy. Why would I not respect him? Why should I be made to? I respect him for who he already his – for his character, for all the things that make him unique and so special.

This book made me laugh as Rachel did things in the name of Biblical Womanhood that I have never done. She addressed fears that all women face and the tensions we live in. It was tastefully written and I appreciate how she grew through this process. It wasn’t a joke or a mockery. It was an investigation and I like where she ended up. It’s a book worth reading – both men and women. I am thankful for voices like Rachel’s who bold speak truth. She is a woman of valor and I deeply respect her.